A Parish in St. Andrews, on the Corner of Fortune Avenue and Eleventh Street
St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church stands at the corner of West 11th Street and Fortune Avenue in the St. Andrews neighborhood of Panama City, Florida. The parish church faces one corner, and the parish office sits opposite at 1008 Fortune Avenue, a building that once housed the Sisters of the Resurrection, who began serving the parish and its school in 1961. The parish exists, in its own words, to invite all into an eternal relationship with Jesus Christ and to help people grow in that relationship now and forever.
Members of the parish are drawn to the steady rhythm of Catholic life in St. Andrews: a weekday Mass before work, a Sunday Vigil on Saturday evening, two Sunday morning liturgies, the sacrament of Reconciliation three times a week, and First Friday Adoration. Around that rhythm are gathered more than twenty active ministries, a parish school that has educated children since 1958, family formation programs for every stage of life, and service to the homeless and hungry of the wider community through the Association of St. Jude. St. John is part of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee.
The Mass Schedule at St. John
The parish offers Mass every day of the week, with a particular emphasis on the weekend as the heart of parish life.
- Saturday Vigil: 4:30 p.m.
- Sunday Masses: 8:15 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 8:15 a.m.
- Tuesday, Thursday: 5:30 p.m.
- First Saturdays: 9:00 a.m., celebrated as a Latin Novus Ordo Mass
The First Saturday Latin Mass is celebrated in the Church's universal sacred language using the current Order of Mass, with printed missals available so that anyone can follow along without prior familiarity with Latin. The First Saturday devotion itself has deep roots in Marian spirituality, traditionally offered in honor of Our Lady.
After each Sunday morning Mass, the parish hall fills with coffee, donuts, and conversation. The gathering is simple and consistent - a chance to meet the people who pray in the pews beside you and to extend that meeting into something more like friendship.
Confession and Eucharistic Adoration
The sacrament of Reconciliation is offered three times a week in the church: on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 4:30 to 5:00 p.m., on Saturdays from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m., and on First Fridays at 9:00 a.m., immediately following the morning Mass. Confession is also available by appointment through the parish office.
The parish extends a hand especially to those who have been away. The page on Confession at St. John addresses this directly: priests have heard everything, and the priest is not there to judge but to offer the mercy of Christ. Those who return are welcomed back, helped through the examination of conscience, and absolved in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Eucharistic Adoration takes place on First Fridays from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. The Blessed Sacrament is exposed in the monstrance on the altar of the main church, and the parish invites worshippers to come for an hour, for a few minutes, or for any stretch of time they can give. A tabernacle in the church holds the consecrated hosts reserved from previous Masses, and a sanctuary lamp burns near it as a sign of the Real Presence.
The Seven Sacraments
St. John prepares parishioners for and celebrates all seven sacraments of the Catholic Church.
Baptism is the door to the Christian life. Parents of infants and children up to age six work with Jera Blanchard-Towns, the Coordinator of Family and Children's Catechesis, and complete a preparation program called Belonging: Baptism in the Family of God before a date is scheduled. Children in third through fifth grade who have not yet been baptized receive Baptism, Confirmation, and First Communion together. Middle school and high school students are prepared through the youth ministry under Dot Wagner. Adults are baptized at the Easter Vigil after completing the OCIA process (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults).
First Reconciliation and First Communion for children typically proceed together, with preparation woven into the parish's family formation program. Contact for first sacraments is Jera Blanchard-Towns.
Confirmation at St. John follows the practice of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee known as the Restored Order, which returns the Sacraments of Christian Initiation to their original sequence. Children around the age of reason, when prepared and properly disposed, receive Confirmation and First Holy Communion at the same Mass, with the Eucharist understood as the culmination of Christian initiation. High school students in grades 8 through 12 begin preparation each January under Dot Wagner. Adults baptized in another Christian tradition and seeking full communion are received at the Easter Vigil.
Matrimony preparation at St. John begins at least six months before a couple's desired wedding date. Couples meet with the priest or deacon, complete a marriage preparation course, and walk through questions about freedom, fidelity, and openness to children. The parish also helps couples whose civil marriage has not been recognized by the Church to pursue convalidation, and assists couples in mixed marriages to discern the path forward.
Anointing of the Sick is offered to anyone facing serious illness, major surgery, or the increasing frailty of advanced age. In an emergency, when someone is dying and has not yet received the sacraments, the parish asks that the office be called immediately, day or night, so that a priest can come. Homebound parishioners who would like regular visits from a priest - including Confession, Communion, and Anointing when appropriate - are asked to let the office know.
Holy Orders - the ordination of men as deacons, priests, and bishops - is supported at St. John through prayer, encouragement, and connection with the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee's Office of Vocations. Men discerning the priesthood or diaconate are invited to speak with the pastor or one of the parish deacons.
St. John Catholic Academy
Next door to the parish church, at 1005 Fortune Avenue, sits St. John Catholic Academy, the parish school that has educated children in Panama City since 1958. The Academy serves preschool, elementary, and middle school families, integrating classical liberal arts academics with daily prayer, regular Mass, Scripture, service, and Catholic teaching across the curriculum.
The Academy describes its approach as classical Catholic education, a formation in language, literature, mathematics, history, science, and the arts that teaches children to reason carefully and communicate clearly. Faith is woven throughout the school day rather than confined to a single subject. Students are invited to grow in knowledge, wisdom, virtue, and love of God within a school community closely tied to the life of the parish.
The Academy welcomes both Catholic and non-Catholic families, with the understanding that the school's identity, curriculum, prayer, and community life are intentionally and unapologetically Catholic. Admissions, financial aid, and scholarship information - including Florida scholarship programs - are available through the Academy office at 850-763-1775 and at stjohncatholicacademy.org.
Pathways: Family Faith Formation
Pathways is the parish's family faith formation program for families with children from infancy through age 17. It is structured around a sequence of steps called Seek, Root, and an ongoing stage tailored to each family's situation, with a mix of At-Church sessions on Wednesday evenings and At-Home sessions during the week. Pathways also prepares children for the sacraments of First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation.
At-Church sessions begin with a free optional dinner at 5:30 p.m. Formation runs from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., with age-based small groups for children ages 5 through 17, separate teaching for parents and teens, and free childcare available for infants and children up to age four. At-Home sessions take about 20 to 30 minutes, and the parish provides all materials, prompts, and prayer experiences so that even busy families can participate. The program is completely free, including meals and childcare.
The Root series focuses on the essentials of Catholic belief, working through the Creed with separate tracks for parents, teens, and children. Beginning in January, each family's Pathway is tailored to their children's sacramental needs and the stage of faith the family is in.
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
For children ages 3 through 12, the parish offers Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a Montessori-based faith formation program. Sessions take place in a specially prepared space called the atrium, filled with child-sized materials: wooden figures for Bible stories, small altars for liturgical gestures, maps, models, and prayer corners. Children are not lectured but invited. They handle the materials, ponder the parables, and enter into the stories at their own pace.
The program is organized into different levels for different developmental stages, beginning with simple wonder in the youngest children and deepening over time into a more mature understanding of Scripture, liturgy, and moral life. Children often come home singing the psalms, asking questions about Mass, or playing "atrium" on their own. Registration is coordinated through Jera Blanchard-Towns.
Youth Ministry and the Dead Theologians Society
Catholic Student Ministry is the parish's ministry to middle and high school students in grades 6 through 12. While Pathways is the primary family faith formation track, Catholic Student Ministry offers additional opportunities for teens to gather, ask questions, deepen their faith, and build Catholic friendships.
High school students meet through the Dead Theologians Society, a Catholic apostolate that forms teens in holiness through the witness of the saints. Each evening includes dinner, a look at the life of a saint, discussion of the faith, a decade of the Rosary, and prayers for the souls in purgatory. The society's motto is Mortuum Mundo - Vivum in Christo, dead to the world and alive in Christ, drawn from St. Paul's letter to the Colossians.
Middle school students meet for Middle School Youth Nights. All students are also invited to retreats, service opportunities, social events, and trips throughout the year. The Sunday gatherings run from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m., with teens welcome to stay until 7:00 p.m. for fellowship. Both are hosted by Nick and Paeter Labrie with a team of trained, background-checked adult volunteers at the Labrie family home, with parents welcome to stay. Information is available from Nick Labrie, Director of Mission Operations.
Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA)
For adults exploring the Catholic faith, completing their sacraments, or discerning a vocation to full communion with the Church, St. John offers the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. OCIA meets on Tuesday evenings at 6:15 p.m. and is led by Deacon Tim Warner.
The process is for adults who have never been baptized, baptized Christians from other traditions seeking full communion with the Catholic Church, and baptized Catholics who have not yet received Confirmation and/or First Communion. It is not a class to pass but a journey of prayer, study, conversation, and gradual immersion into the life of the Church, with weekly sessions walking through the Gospels, the teachings of the Church, the sacraments, and the moral life, building toward the Easter Vigil when participants are received into the Church.
The Encounter School of Ministries
The Encounter School of Ministries is a two-year formation program rooted in Catholic teaching and focused on life in the Holy Spirit. The curriculum covers identity in Christ, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, healing prayer, and the principles of the Kingdom of God. Participants are not only taught but activated, given opportunities to pray for one another, to step out in faith, and to see what God does when his disciples make themselves available.
The school is led locally by Dr. Nic and Dot Wagner and is open to anyone seeking deeper formation in the life of the Spirit.
The Lay Carmelites
The Lay Carmelites at St. John are part of a centuries-old spiritual family that includes St. Teresa of Ávila, St. John of the Cross, and St. Thérèse of Lisieux. They are laypeople who live Carmelite spirituality in the world, combining contemplative prayer with the ordinary demands of work, family, and daily life. The community at St. John was canonically established in 2001 and gathers on the third Sunday of each month at 2:00 p.m. in the school media center. Members commit to a rhythm of daily prayer and ongoing formation in the Carmelite tradition. Guests are always welcome.
The Young Professional Fellowship
The Young Professional Fellowship gathers Catholic adults in their twenties and thirties from across the region for social events, spiritual growth, and service. Some gatherings are dinners and outings; some are focused on going deeper in prayer or study; some put faith into action alongside others. Events are announced through the fellowship's GroupMe, and newcomers are invited to introduce themselves and simply show up.
Ministries for Men
St. John supports several distinct communities for the men of the parish.
The Men's Club is the most visible. The Club hosts the monthly Fellowship Breakfast, which is open to the whole parish on the first Sunday of each month (except June and July) from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the parish hall. The Club also provides volunteer labor for parish maintenance, financial support for ministries and missions, and help with projects large and small - refurbishing the Holy Mother prayer garden, serving soup suppers during Lent, and hosting Breakfast with Santa. The Club meets on the third Monday of the month at 5:45 p.m. and is led by Lee Fry.
The Knights of Columbus council at St. John is part of the worldwide Catholic fraternal organization founded in 1882 by Fr. Michael McGivney. Members serve the parish and community, support seminarians, assist families in crisis, and gather as brothers in faith and life. Information is available from Mike Tierney.
The Men's Coffee Bible Study meets Monday mornings at 7:00 a.m. at the Starbucks on US-98 and R. Jackson Boulevard in Panama City Beach, using the Exodus 90 program of daily readings, reflections, and practical guidelines for Christian living. The group is led by Curt Simmons.
The Men's Evening Bible Study meets on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the parish office for Scripture study, discussion, and fellowship, and is led by Warren Phillips.
Ministries for Women
The Women's Bible Study meets every Wednesday morning at 9:30 a.m. in the parish office conference room. The women are currently working through Edward Sri's "Follow Me: Meeting Jesus in the Gospel of John." Newcomers can simply show up, or contact Kathy Kidd or Martha Cordell in advance.
The Council of Catholic Women gathers the women of the parish to pray, serve, and support one another, and is part of the National Council of Catholic Women. Members organize service projects, host parish events, participate in retreats, and advocate for causes the Church cares about.
The Women's Social meets on the first Saturday of each month at 10:00 a.m. in the parish hall for community and a fun or informative activity.
The Association of St. Jude
Founded in 1989, the Association of St. Jude is the parish's outreach to the homeless and hungry of Bay County. Volunteers from St. John prepare meals, listen, pray, and serve, working to restore dignity to neighbors in need and partnering with other agencies in the community. The Association lives the words of Matthew's Gospel: "I was hungry and you gave me food. I was a stranger and you welcomed me." Information about volunteering, donations, and current needs is available through the parish office.
Catholic in Recovery
Catholic in Recovery is a confidential, faith-based ministry for anyone struggling with addiction or the effects of someone else's addiction. Meetings bring together the wisdom of recovery programs and the grace of the sacraments, including prayer, reflection, conversation, and access to spiritual guidance and Confession. The ministry meets on Tuesday evenings at 6:15 p.m. in the parish office. The first call is confidential and carries no pressure; contact Diane Skoriak.
The Liturgical Ministries
Music ministry at St. John is led by Me-Gan Vu, Director of Sacred Music, and includes vocalists, cantors, and instrumentalists who lead the parish in sung prayer at Mass and other liturgical celebrations. The Music Ministry welcomes singers and instrumentalists of all skill levels; those interested can fill out the interest form online, with parents of minors asked to contact Me-Gan directly.
Ministers of Hospitality serve as ushers, the first face people see at Mass. They welcome, assist, and help things run smoothly so that everyone can focus on worship.
Readers at Mass, or lectors, proclaim the first and second readings at Mass on a rotating schedule. Lectors prepare by sitting with the text beforehand, letting the Scripture work on them before they give it voice. The parish offers training in both the practical and spiritual dimensions of the ministry.
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are laypeople commissioned to assist with the distribution of the Eucharist at Mass and to bring Communion to the sick and homebound. The role is described in the parish's words as one of reverence and service, with formation in the theology of the Eucharist and practical training before commissioning.
Clergy and Staff
St. John is pastored by Fr. Jacob Jaks. He is assisted by two permanent deacons: Dcn. Tim Warner, who directs the OCIA process and adult sacramental preparation, and Dcn. Earl Mirus.
The parish's mission and formation staff includes Nick Labrie, Director of Mission Operations, who oversees Catholic Student Ministry and the Dead Theologians Society; Jera Blanchard-Towns, Coordinator of Family and Children's Catechesis, who oversees Baptism preparation, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, and Pathways; Dot Wagner, Coordinator of Youth Formation, who oversees Confirmation preparation for high school students; and Heather Hanna, Coordinator of Hospitality and Events.
Me-Gan Vu serves as Director of Sacred Music. The parish is supported as well by Lynn Sokoloski as Facilities Manager and by maintenance and groundskeepers Dylan Ryndak and Roy Pomes, with Grace Griffith as Parish Secretary.
Joining the Life of the Parish
The parish office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Parishioners and visitors can stay connected through Flocknote by texting STJ to 84576 or signing up online. Online giving is available through the parish's Vanco giving platform, with a separate giving portal for St. John Catholic Academy. Bulletins are published weekly and made available through the parish. Mass and homilies from the parish's current preaching series on the Sacred Liturgy are available on the parish YouTube channel.
The church building stands at the corner of West 11th Street and Fortune Avenue. The parish office is at 1008 Fortune Avenue. Together they form the center of a Catholic community that gathers around the Mass, the sacraments, the formation of its children, the prayer of its adults, and the service of its neighbors - a parish in St. Andrews that has set its face toward the Lord who makes all things new.